League Two Summer Business | Vital Football

League Two Summer Business

Scotimp

Vital Football Legend
The summer transfer window opened on Thursday 17 May and closes on Thursday 9 August. The idea behind that is for the window to close before the Premier League season gets under way on 11 August, but we start on 4 August of course. Standard loans will be permitted until 31 August.

That means clubs have around three weeks less time in which to conduct their transfer business than last summer: there are just 60 days left in which to get their squads in order.

The majority of clubs return to pre-season training in the last week of June, no more than two weeks away.

All of that is very interesting from a Lincoln City perspective. During the last two transfer windows, Danny's permanent signings have followed an identical pattern: 0 signed in May, 4 in June, 2 in July, and 1 in August (both on 3 August by coincidence). He has not signed a player during the last 4 weeks of the window at all except for loans.

Bruno Andrade is the first player he has signed in May in his three summer windows.

Things have been surprisingly quiet so far in League Two generally, with agents pushing desperately and clubs resisting manfully. This is the current state of play as at 2pm on Monday 11 June:

Bury: 5 out / 2 in
Cambridge: 4 out / 2 in
Carlisle: 11 out / 0 in
Cheltenham: 11 out / 7 in
Colchester: 5 out / 6 in
Crawley: 4 out / 1 in
Crewe: 4 out / 2 in
Exeter: 7 out / 0 in
Forest Green: 14 out / 4 in
Grimsby: 12 out / 3 in
LINCOLN: 4 out / 1 in
Macclesfield: 3 out / 3 in
Mansfield: 6 out / 2 in
MK Dons: 2 out / 0 in
Morecambe: 11 out / 2 in
Newport: 7 out / 0 in
Northampton: 3 out / 1 in
Notts County: 11 out / 5 in
Oldham: 7 out / 1 in
Port Vale: 11 out / 6 in
Stevenage: 9 out / 4 in
Swindon: 7 out / 0 in
Tranmere: 10 out / 2 in
Yeovil: 4 out / 0 in

Furthermore, many clubs still have players to decide on new contracts - therefore the number of players leaving some clubs will rise further.

With the early closing of the window, clubs will have to get moving very soon if they are to avoid the end-of-window donkey sales. Hang on to your hats - things are set to get busier than the cello player on Midsomer Murders.
 
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The summer transfer window opened on Thursday 17 May and closes on Thursday 9 August. The idea behind that is for the window to close before the Premier League season gets under way on 11 August, but we start on 4 August of course. Standard loans will be permitted until 31 August.

That means clubs have around three weeks less time in which to conduct their transfer business than last summer: there are just 60 days left in which to get their squads in order.

The majority of clubs return to pre-season training in the last week of June, no more than two weeks away.

All of that is very interesting from a Lincoln City perspective. During the last two transfer windows, Danny's permanent signings have followed an identical pattern: 0 signed in May, 4 in June, 2 in July, and 1 in August (both on 3 August by coincidence). He has not signed a player during the last 4 weeks of the window at all except for loans.

Bruno Andrade is the first player he has signed in May in his three summer windows.

Things have been surprisingly quiet so far in League Two generally, with agents pushing desperately and clubs resisting manfully. This is the current state of play as at 2pm on Monday 11 June:

Bury: 5 out / 2 in
Cambridge: 4 out / 2 in
Carlisle: 11 out / 0 in
Cheltenham: 11 out / 7 in
Colchester: 5 out / 6 in
Crawley: 4 out / 1 in
Crewe: 4 out / 2 in
Exeter: 7 out / 0 in
Forest Green: 14 out / 4 in
Grimsby: 12 out / 3 in
LINCOLN: 4 out / 1 in
Macclesfield: 3 out / 3 in
Mansfield: 6 out / 2 in
MK Dons: 2 out / 0 in
Morecambe: 11 out / 2 in
Newport: 7 out / 0 in
Northampton: 3 out / 1 in
Notts County: 11 out / 5 in
Oldham: 7 out / 1 in
Port Vale: 11 out / 6 in
Stevenage: 9 out / 4 in
Swindon: 7 out / 0 in
Tranmere: 10 out / 2 in
Yeovil: 4 out / 0 in

Furthermore, many clubs still have players to decide on new contracts - therefore the number of players leaving some clubs will rise further.

With the early closing of the window, clubs will have to get moving very soon if they are to avoid the end-of-window donkey sales. Hang on to your hats - things are set to get busier than the cello player on Midsomer Murders.
Surely its the grave digger on midsomer!?
 
So does the window close for permenant signings for efl clubs before the 4th or 11th?
 
Very much a waiting game being played but as usual there will be a glut of announcements on the 1st of July when contracts officially expire. Deals have no doubt been already done and rubber stamped.

From a City point of view I see no reason yet to be rushing in. Those deals already announced in our division I don't think you could honestly say we've missed out on what could have been a proper target. Possibly Dennis is the only one close to that but he was overpriced at a reported £150,000.

Still plenty of time.
 
Those deals already announced in our division I don't think you could honestly say we've missed out on what could have been a proper target. Possibly Dennis is the only one close to that but he was overpriced at a reported £150,000.

I agree entirely. They say you should never sign early and never sign late in the transfer windows (unless it is an exceptional player), but we'll see how it all pans out.

So far, I would say the following look good signings: Chris Hussey (Cheltenham), Carl Winchester (FGR), Bruno Andrade (City), Andy Williams (Northampton), Kristian Dennis (Notts County), Kane Hemmings (Notts County), Scott Brown (Port Vale) and Scott Cuthbert (Stevenage). The rest are very uninspiring and look set to change absolutely nothing.
 
Not player signings, but our black and white neighbours revealed their new management team today: failed Woking manager Anthony Limbrick as assistant manager and some guy called Adam Forrest as coach. From what Forrest said today, it sounds like he might have joined the wrong club:

"...the club and town are on a high currently..."

If that is a club and a town on a high, I would hate to see a club and a town on a low.

They seem a bit non-plussed by their new jobs in this photo:

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2018/june/new-assistant-manager--assistant-coach-appointed/
 
All they need now is to appoint Sol Campbell as director of Football.
last seen buying one way ticket to Cleethorpes.

Is Fenty drawing these blokes out of a hat?.....he must be smoking some wierd stuff.
 
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"...the club and town are on a high currently..."

To be fair the earthquake the other day has raised Cleethorpes and the ground by a millimetre so he's spot on.

( I may have made that up but it's the only high they're going to get )
 
Stevenage seems to have added a decent spine to their team with Cuthbert, Timlin, Revell (admittedly signed in January).

Didn't notice that Nouble of Newport had signed for Colchester either.
 
"...the club and town are on a high currently..."

To be fair the earthquake the other day has raised Cleethorpes and the ground by a millimetre so he's spot on.

( I may have made that up but it's the only high they're going to get )
I think we all know what high Grimsby are.
 
Update time - it continues to be very quiet despite the imminent return to pre-season training, pre-season friendlies and that early closing of the window:

Bury: 5 out / 2 in
Cambridge: 4 out / 2 in
Carlisle: 11 out / 0 in
Cheltenham: 11 out / 7 in
Colchester: 5 out / 6 in
Crawley: 4 out / 2 in (1 in since last update)
Crewe: 4 out / 2 in
Exeter: 8 out / 0 in (1 out since last update)
Forest Green: 14 out / 5 in (1 in since last update)
Grimsby: 12 out / 3 in
LINCOLN: 5 out / 2 in (1 in, 1 out since last update)
Macclesfield: 3 out / 3 in
Mansfield: 6 out / 2 in
MK Dons: 2 out / 0 in
Morecambe: 11 out / 2 in
Newport: 7 out / 0 in
Northampton: 4 out / 1 in (1 out since last update)
Notts County: 11 out / 5 in
Oldham: 7 out / 1 in
Port Vale: 11 out / 6 in
Stevenage: 9 out / 7 in (3 in since last update)
Swindon: 7 out / 0 in
Tranmere: 10 out / 2 in
Yeovil: 4 out / 0 in
 
That's interesting only 8 of the 24 have brought in more than us so far and 6 haven't brought in anybody yet! Seems a lot of clubs are playing the waiting game and one or two are throwing the cash around!
 
And some are waiting to appoint a new manager. Macclesfield are due to announce theirs this week (Steve Watson perhaps, now Gateshead are going part-time?) and hapless Oldham hilariously appointed Frankie Bunn yesterday. Tisdale has not got going yet at MKD, neither has his replacement at Exeter.

Amazingly, 13 managers in League Two have been appointed within the past twelve months.
 
And some are waiting to appoint a new manager. Macclesfield are due to announce theirs this week (Steve Watson perhaps, now Gateshead are going part-time?) and hapless Oldham hilariously appointed Frankie Bunn yesterday. Tisdale has not got going yet at MKD, neither has his replacement at Exeter.

Amazingly, 13 managers in League Two have been appointed within the past twelve months.
I didn't spot that Oldham appointment, dear oh dear. I'm not a gambling man but 20/1 on offer for them to be relegated seems good value!
 
And some are waiting to appoint a new manager. Macclesfield are due to announce theirs this week (Steve Watson perhaps, now Gateshead are going part-time?) and hapless Oldham hilariously appointed Frankie Bunn yesterday. Tisdale has not got going yet at MKD, neither has his replacement at Exeter.

Amazingly, 13 managers in League Two have been appointed within the past twelve months.
No surprise r.e. Gateshead.

BBC article was suggesting over the last few years, their budget has fluctuated between £650k-£800k...on about 600 crowds. Underachieved with them budgets.
 
Watson has decided to stay put - even though he no longer has a professional club to manage - after considering his options. Macclesfield were expected to announce their new manager by the end of this week, and they haven't done so. That could be two and two making five, though.